


The Kindness of Strangers

by pxlblack



Category: Fantastic Beasts - Fandom, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Abuse, Affairs, Child Abuse, Developing Friendships, Drama, F/M, Friendship, Jealousy, M/M, Marriage, Romance, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-08-10 01:28:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 14,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16460846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pxlblack/pseuds/pxlblack
Summary: 1927, New York City. Percival Graves is an ageing government worker trying to escape his unfortunate past whilst acting as a mentor to Credence Barebone, a seventeen-year-old with destructive tendencies and an abusive family. Enter Tina Goldstein, a social worker dedicated to her job and her sister Queenie, a seductive fortune teller. As their narratives intertwine and overlap, friendships and romances blossom as each character struggles to find a moral truth in themselves.





	1. 1.1

**PART ONE**

Credence was scared.

It was always like this, always in the night time. He was awake, not because he couldn’t sleep, but because he didn’t want to. He found it hard to close his eyes at night; at seventeen years old, this was a problem. It wasn’t fear of paranormal, or the unknown- on the contrary, it was in fear of Mary Lou, his adoptive mother, who abused him. Credence spent countless night hiding from her, locking the door after she had come for him, stripping himself of the tattered clothes to reveal the array of purple bruises littering his back.

He gripped the edge of the porcelain sink, in an attempt to stop the tremor in his right hand. It had only started recently, but it was a habit he couldn’t shake. It wasn’t constant, but a tick that had happened every time he was nervous, or scared. This was the basis of Credence’s neurotic spells. He knew when they would occur because of the tremors, and it was almost impossible to stop them; they would just have to be waited out. How Credence hated those days.

Mary Lou was convinced that he had a problem, much to his horror. ‘You’re possessed, boy.’ She would say, her small body quivering in fear and anger. And then, she would hold out her hand, almost apologetically, and Credence would undo his belt.

Credence hated those days.

His hands grasped at the tall cup filled with water and raised it to his lips, his teeth chattering against the glass. He glanced outside nervously, wondering if he could run away. It was dark outside, however. Credence was out after hours, and if he went back to the house now, he would be hurt. Badly.

There was a knock on the door.

Credence froze; he couldn’t run away now. But he was confused- did he want to run away? After all, he did bring himself after all. Because he was terrified of himself, and he didn’t know what to do.

‘Can I come in, Credence?’ Credence could feel his chest tightening. He wrapped his arms around himself as if he could curl up into nothingness. His breathing was becoming quicker at the sound of this unfamiliar voice, his palms sweating inside his closed fists.

‘Credence?’ He could feel his eyes watering, the hot tears sliding down his face. He was, above all, scared to open the door. He was supposed to be in the waiting room, but he had gone to the toilet to hide, just in case Mary Lou had somehow found out that he was there, so she couldn’t find him, and hurt him. But he wasn’t supposed to be in the toilet, and maybe they would be mad at him.

‘Please come out, Credence.’ A voice said quietly. Credence took time to dissect the voice; it was male, more mature than his own, and- kind. ‘No one will hurt you.’

Credence opened the door.

The man standing in front of him was ten, maybe fifteen years his senior, a tall, slim man with dark hair and even darker eyes. He had a gentle face, but his eyebrows were knitted together in concern. ‘Are you alright?’

‘ _Please_ \- please, make it stop.’

‘That’s what I’m here for Credence. Credence? Can you look at me, please?’

A low sob erupted from the back of his throat, causing uncontrollable shakes to wrack his body. ‘Help... Help me. Please, I– _help_.’

‘Credence?’ The man said cautiously. ‘Credence, I’m here to help you. But you’re going to have to let me touch you.’

‘I want you t–to help me–’

‘Credence, I’m going to touch you, alright? I’m going to help you outside. And you’re going to let me.’ The man said firmly. ‘Okay?’

Credence struggled with speaking for a moment, he felt as though if he opened his mouth he would not be able to stop crying, and he couldn’t do that because then the man would leave him, and then he would be all alone again. So he held out his hand, like a child. ‘Okay.’

The man’s hand was soft, muscular and laden with very fine, dark hairs, and veins that stuck out in a spidery blue lattice across the back of his hand.

‘We can go to inside my office– if you would like,’ he said as he helped the boy up, before releasing his hand gently. ‘We can– talk.’

Credence’s hands found the back pockets of his overcoat and stuffed them inside, bowing his head deeply.

‘Yes? Would you like that, Credence?’ Credence bit his lip. ‘Y– Yes.’

The man nodded. ‘Come.’ Credence did so, following the man down the dimly lit hallway and then into a large room, which was empty, excluding a desk, and two chairs. They both sat down.

‘Your name is Credence, yes?’ He asked. ‘I do hope I’ve been saying it correctly.’

He nodded. Credence averted his gaze, but he could feel the man’s eyes on him. Reluctantly, he looked up. ‘Yes, sir.’

The man smiled warmly at him. It made Credence want to smile back, but he was too shy. ‘My name is Percival Graves, but everyone calls me Percy, or simply Graves.’

Credence found himself smiling at the floor.

‘So, Credence- you’ve found yourself being anxious, or suddenly angry, and unable to suppress it, as I hear? That’s why you’ve come to us, I assume.’

‘Yes. M-my, uh- Mary Lou, my mother- she, uh. She doesn’t know I’m here.’

Mr Graves rifled through some papers on his desk. 'Yes... Mary Lou. You've had some trouble with her in the past, haven't you? Don’t worry- you won’t be in any trouble, we’re just here to help you as best as we can. Your mom can’t be mad at you.’

Credence didn’t say anything. He couldn’t agree with him, he didn’t want to contradict him, either. So he stayed silent.

'You've spoken to Tina before, haven't you? My papers say that you've stayed with her whilst Mary Lou's been in our rehabilitation services.'

'Yes, sir.'

Mr Graves nodded, placing his papers back on his desk. He looked at Credence- the lost, forlorn boy who would not look him in the eye, and felt a rush of sympathy for him. ‘We will confirm your next meeting with us by post- it should be very soon. But is there anything in particular that you need right now?’ He added gently.

Credence considered this. He felt lonely, isolated, and tired. There was nothing better that he would’ve liked to do more than curl up in bed, but he couldn’t. The next best thing was some comfort, even if it was from a complete stranger.

‘A h-hug.’ Credence mumbled to the floor. He could feel his face reddening. With not a moment hesitation, he could feel Graves’ arms, his thick, ropy back muscles contracting against Credence’s touch.

'You’re safe, okay?’ Graves muttered in a gravelly voice. ‘Nothing will hurt you now.’ Credence shivered, and although he could not bring himself to believe this man wholeheartedly, there was something about him; something that made Credence want to trust him.


	2. 1.2

Graves left work much later than he usually would’ve done, had he had a normal day at the office. This did not displease him, quite the contrary; he enjoyed the quiet streets of New York City. Graves loved the darkness of it, the muted beauty of the usually bright buildings, as though the night had ebbed out the colour. He loved the placidity of the people he passed, it was not often that he met others, but on the occasion that he did, he would smile, tip his hat and be on his way.

After saying goodbye to his colleagues, Graves locked up his office and headed back to his house. For a forty-one-year-old man, it was unusual- looked down upon, even, to live alone. But Graves did not mind, quite the contrary, he enjoyed the solitude, and his work kept him busy. It was the quiet life he preferred, and his strenuous job hours only contributed to the need to live alone. Home was a place where he could usually be by himself.

Tonight, however, was not one of those nights.

Graves returned home at around eleven o’clock.

He flicked a switch, and the lights turned on, revealing a woman. She was sitting down on a chair by the window. When she turned, she looked at him, half expectantly.

Graves stiffened in recognition. She was a small woman, with shoulder length dark hair and a wan, tired-looking face. She had the stance of a woman not quite comfortable in her own skin. She was wearing navy blue robes, held a hat in one hand and a piece of parchment to her chest.

‘Tina!’ He blurted out. She raised an eyebrow. Quickly recovering himself, he straightened up. ‘Er- how are you?’

She smiled slightly. ‘Quite well, thank you. And yourself?’

He felt bewildered, something about her presence made him uncomfortable, as if he were in trouble or something of the sort. Strangely, he felt it unnecessary to ask her why she had come. He knew her, well- she would make her objective clear soon enough. ‘Yes, I’m- I’m good.’ He replied, forcing a grimace in return.

The initial formalities dropped. ‘I’ve just received a letter from Runcorn. Explain, please.’

Graves frowned. ‘What?’

Quickly, she unfolded a piece of parchment and handed it to him. With a sharp glance once more in her direction, he began to read:

 

_The Department of Child Protection has just been informed that Mr Percival Graves has undertaken the task of aiding Mr Credence Barebone in seeking legal help against his adoptive mother, Miss Mary Lou._

_Rudolphus Runcorn_

_Order of Merlin, Second Class_

_Head of Law Enforcement_

 

There was a very pregnant pause in which Tina stood up from the chair and moved swiftly towards him. After a moment, she spoke again.

‘Is this true?’ she asked softly.

Graves nodded numbly. He felt wholly confused with the situation, he understood why the Ministry needed to be informed, as per protocol, but not why Tina cared. ‘Okay,’ she said quietly. ‘Alright.’

‘Tina?’ he asked cautiously. ‘Is everything- er-’

‘-You try and _fix_ people, Graves!’ A scream broke out from the back of her throat. Graves stepped back, bewildered; he had never seen her like this before.

‘Tina, listen, I-’

‘You– you try and fix people, like a– like a _project_ –’ She spat, jabbing a long, plain fingernail into his chest. ‘And then _throw them away_!’

‘Credence is different– Tina, please–’

‘No, Mr Graves, _you_ listen. _Percival,_ he–’ she stopped suddenly, her small chest heaving up and down. She looked up at him, her small, fresh face etched with emotions Graves struggled to distinguish: pain, sorrow and anger. ‘He’s just a _boy._ ’

He nodded in agreement, stepping towards her imploringly. ‘Yes Tina, a _boy._ A boy who is _scared, lonely,_ and _hurt._ He can’t go along living with that— that _woman_ anymore– she beats him, and–’

‘I _know.’_ Tina’s voice quivered with anger, although not, Graves suspected, at him. ‘He’s seventeen, still a teenager. He’s grown up not knowing societal normality, with no father, an abusive mother, and those _sisters–_ they can hardly be seen as a credit to society…’ She trailed off, eyebrows knitted together with worry.

‘I’m only here to help. I know you are, too, but– I mean, no offence, but I’m not a social worker, so maybe he’ll listen to me. And I’m a man, too, maybe I can relate to some things.’ He added quickly.

Tina’s fists clutched the paper threateningly, stepping closer to him. They were now only inches apart. ‘I- Percival, I just… I can’t believe in you. After all that has happened- after all that we’ve been through-'

‘-Tina.’ There was a hesitant silence for a brief moment. Graves could feel her hitched breath on his skin. He lowered his voice. ‘You’ve _got_ to trust me. I can help.’ He sighed, looking away from her. ‘And I know it was my fault that it didn’t work out- between us. But- but that was six years ago. I was younger. I didn’t know what to do then. _Trust me_.’

Tina bit her lip. She nodded. ‘Okay. Okay.’

‘Uh- do you, uh. Do you need me to let you out?’

Tina smiled wryly, producing a set of keys from her wallet. ‘I should probably give these back to you.’

‘Huh.’ Graves chuckled under his breath. ‘No, keep them. It’s fine.’

She nodded. ‘Well- goodbye.’

She left the room. He held his breath and, twenty seconds later, he heard the door close quietly.

Graves breathed out slowly. On the one hand, he had not required Tina’s approval, but on the other it was relieving to know that she- albeit reluctantly- approved.


	3. 1.3

When Credence returned to the orphanage, it was quiet.

He treaded carefully, his shoes padding across the wooden floorboards. It was dark, the dim lighting flickering off and on, barely illuminating the large hallway. He held his breath. Maybe if he held his breath, Mary Lou wouldn’t hear him.

He went straight to his room. He didn’t check his watch, but he knew it was far past his curfew. Not that he even had one- it wasn’t as if Mary Lou cared about his whereabouts. It was about the reputation that she upheld within society, and if Credence flouted her expectations of him, therefore diminishing her value in New York’s eyes, she would have to punish him. And this was what scared Credence above anything else.

The door creaked open. It was not empty, however. Mary Lou was sitting on his bed in silence. Her small, frail body was bent over, her arms hanging limply by her sides. The crook of her right arm was littered with red dots- she’d been using again.

Credence stopped breathing.

‘Where have you been, Credence?’ She asked quietly. Her voice shook slightly and she swayed slightly, her voice perceptibly slurred. Credence looked down at the pale mauve rug beneath his bed. A small patch beneath her bare feet was crusted with a dark red liquid. She was drunk.

‘Mom- I mean, Mary Lou-‘

‘I am not your mom. Your momma is dead.’ She said slowly. Each word penetrated the air with inexorable venom, and it pained Credence.

He bowed his head in shame. His hands were shaking.

‘Credence.’ Her shoes were tap tapping against the marble floor impatiently. ‘Belt, please.’

‘Please-’

‘Belt. Credence.’ She interrupted. ‘If I have to ask you one more time, Credence…’

Blindly, his hands unbuttoned his patched coat and felt for his belt. It was a thick leather belt, with metal fastenings and the random engraving of J.T.T on the golden buckle.

‘Good boy.’ She almost smiled at him and in that moment he could’ve cried- but he couldn’t. Not now, anyway. He bowed his head further, squeezing his eyelids together as hard as possible until he could see dark spots.

‘You know you deserve this, don’t you?’ She said quietly. Her voice was gentle, almost tender. ‘You know what you did was wrong, very wrong.’

Credence’s breath quickened. One, two, three, four, five.

‘Credence.’

One, two, three, four, five

‘Yes, ma’am.’

Onetwothreefourfive

Silence.

And then, a young man’s screams were all that could be heard from the secluded house on Pike Street that night.


	4. 1.4

He’d decided that he was going to ask Tina out on a date.

Graves sat down at his desk, already exhausted; his lack of sleep was catching up to him. It was in this strange limbo of tiredness that he came to this decision, whilst nursing a black coffee. He and Tina had gone through so much- they’d been together for years- and it seemed ridiculous to discard their history.

His office door opened. ’Morning,’ A voice said. Graves looked up to see his best friend Jacob Kowalski, a short, stout man with a friendly face and an even friendlier manner. ‘How are you, Perce?’

‘Ill.’ He grinned. Jacob never failed to make him smile. ‘Late night. Headache. Y’know.’

Jacob rolled his eyes in mock disappointment, setting his briefcase down on his friend’s desk. ‘Had one too many last night, did we?’

‘No, no, not that. I wish,’ He added. ‘No, I finished late last night. And you’ll never guess who was there.’

Jacob raised an eyebrow, a large grin forming on his face. He looked rather like an overgrown puppy. ‘Who?’

Graves set his mug down and leaned closer, lowering his voice. ‘Tina Goldstein.’

Jacob’s dark eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head. ‘You mean- our Tina? Like, Porpentina?’

He nodded. ‘Yeah, she came to talk about business. Work stuff.’

‘But- I mean, no offence… you two are divorced.’

‘True.’ He shrugged. ‘I still love her.’

‘Didn’t she break up with you, though?’

Graves winced. Although this was true, he didn’t tend to dwell on the subject. He and Tina had been in a relationship for fourteen years and married for ten. They had broken up six years ago when Tina discovered that Graves had been having an affair with her sister, Queenie Goldstein. He felt awful to think back on this moment, which admittedly had been the stupidest and worst decision of his life. He’d only just regained her friendship.

And it was even worse to think that shortly after, Queenie entered a relationship with Jacob. Not that Jacob knew about any of this mess, of course. He couldn’t. The three of them unanimously decided that it would be far too much for Jacob to handle. All that his friend knew was that he and Tina had split up for some unbeknown reason, after nearly fifteen years together.

Graves sighed. ’I don’t really want to think about that, funnily enough.’

‘Sure, of course.’ Jacob nodded, grin fading. ‘Yeah. Sorry.’

‘Anyway,’ Graves shook his head as if to clear his mind of the awful memories. He took a sip of his coffee. It was now a disappointing lukewarm. ‘Is everything okay? Why did you come to my office?’

‘Oh, yeah.’ His smile returned, wider than ever. ‘I proposed to Queenie last night!’

‘Wow- oh, Jake- I mean, wow, that’s… congratulations! That’s terrific!’ This was not what he had been expecting.

‘Yeah, I know. I was so nervous, but I set it up perfectly- you know the timeless classic- candlelit dinner, roses, the sort- I still can’t believe that she said yes. She’s always been so out of my league.’

‘Love is blind, Jacob.’ Graves responded slightly uncomfortably. ‘Speaking of, I need to talk to Tina.’

Jacob grinned. ‘You got this, brother.’

-

Graves knocked once on the door and entered. Tina was at her desk, looking very flustered. Her small body was swamped in mountains of folders and paper and pens, her cheek on the table as she wrote quickly. Her dark hair was tied up messily into a bun on top of her head, and her cheeks were flushed. She did not look up.

‘Tina?’

‘Yes?’

‘It’s me. Graves.’

Her head left the desk swiftly and she glanced up at him. Graves noticed a deep red crease in the shape of a semi-circle on her cheek- she must’ve been lying on something as she worked. ‘Hey. Do you need anything?’

‘No, I just popped in to say hi. And, uh- did you hear about Jacob and Queenie?’

‘I did, Queenie told me last night. She sounds really excited.’

‘Great news, huh?’

‘Sure.’ Tina looked up at him then, her smile weak and false. ‘I’m a bit swamped right now, though.’

‘Yeah. Of course. I’ll- I’ll go.’

He turned around and was about to leave when he remembered what he came in for. Taking a deep breath, he turned on his heel and walked back to her desk.

‘Er- Tina?’

‘What is it Percy- I’m very busy.’

‘D’you maybe fancy going out tomorrow afternoon? Not like, a date- well. Sort of a date. We can talk about- stuff.’

‘Not tomorrow, Percy. You have an appointment.’ She said, hands running through a schedule.

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh?’

‘Credence.’ She replied, her lips thin. ‘You’re supposed to be going through Credence’s adoption papers with him.’

‘But that’s Friday… shouldn’t he be in school?’ Graves asked.

‘The secretary ran it by him on Wednesday. He said it’s the only day that he was free to come- because Mary Lou won’t suspect anything. You know, because he’ll “be in school”. You know what she’s like.’

He thought about her. Middle-aged Mary, whose family had lived in New York for generations. They all had a history of alcoholism, drugs, and therefore run-ins with the law. Everyone knew Mary, and each citizen had a different opinion of her- some looked fondly upon the lost soul, others critically. Most assumed that she thought herself somewhat of a martyr, adopting those children- but one could hardly argue that she was a good mother. It was common knowledge that she beat her orphans- but the government could only legally do something about it once one of the children spoke up about it, as to prove that it was her. Which was why Credence was so vital to the cause.

‘But yes. Okay.’

Graves snapped out of his thoughts. ‘What?’

‘Let’s go on another date. God knows I need a bit of fun in my life.’

‘Really? You mean it?’

Tina laughed, a high, tinkling laugh. ‘Down, dog, down. Yes. I’ll go- pick me up Friday at nine o’clock at mine.’

Graves laughed to himself, unable to believe his luck.

‘You’re welcome, I guess? Now get on with your work, you have a lot of paperwork to be getting through.’ She smiled fondly and bent her head down again.


	5. 1.5

School was nearly as bad as home.

At home, there was one abuser. At school, there were hundreds.

None of the students liked Credence. They thought that he looked funny. Credence supposed that they had a point, with his shabby shoes and second-hand clothes. His hair needed combing, but it stuck up whatever he did to it. It was gelled today, which unfortunately made his dark hair look greasy.

But today was different.

Today was Friday, the day he had been looking forward to (admittedly for only two days, but still. Two days could be a long time). He was skipping school to go to MACUSA, where he would see Graves again. His heart thumped just to think of it.

Credence wished that he was invisible.

He wished that no one at school would notice him; he had long since accepted that he did not have any friends, but this was fine. If he could avoid the shoves, and ignore the cruel remarks, then he would be well off. But he couldn’t- because he looked too strange to be invisible.

Not that he hadn’t tried to fit in more- there were countless attempts by the way of a haircut, stealing clothes, hours gruelling over shoe shining. But no avail. They still saw through the facade, saw him- the same, mundane Credence Barebone, under it all.

He walked to school with Modesty every day. They were at separate stages of school- Credence at high school, Modesty at junior school- but their schools were in adjoining buildings. They used to walk with Charity, who would be the leader, but since she’d turned eighteen six months ago, she had left the orphanage and never come back. Credence still missed her, but he understood. Next year, that would be him.

Modesty was a tall girl for her age. Eight years old, five foot tall. She walked beside him, her hands balled in fists around the straps of her backpack on her shoulders. Her patent black shoes dragged against the concrete street as she walked, slowly and unwillingly. Credence knew that they were too small for her. Her thin blonde hair fell down to her waist in wisps, bedraggled and in need of a cut. She looked just as shabby as him but she had two friends, that Credence was vicariously grateful for. At least someone was looking out for her.

As they approached the gilded school gates, he stopped and bent down to her height (although she was tall, he was a good foot taller).

‘Modesty, I need you to go your own way from here. You know the way to school.’ He said.

Her brows furrowed. ‘Why?’

‘I’m going to speak to somebody important about mom. So we can be safe.’

‘We are safe.’ Modesty looked at him imploringly, her eyes full of child-like innocence. She couldn’t understand, she wasn’t old enough. No one was quite sure, but everyone suspected that Modesty was Mary-Lou’s biological child. They were both gaunt, with large brown eyes and skeletal limbs. She treated her differently to him and Charity, never beating her or raising her voice around her. So, of course, she would be averse to the idea of reporting their mother, that was all she knew. But Credence knew that it was only a matter of time, once her final punching bag had left the home, that she would turn on Modesty.

‘I can’t explain what I’m doing right now, but I promise that it’s for the best.’ He lowered his voice. ‘Promise you won’t tell mom.’

She tucked a lock of wispy blonde hair behind her ear, avoiding his gaze. She looked uncomfortable.

‘Pinky promise? Please, Modesty.’

Hesitating, she held out her little finger. Relieved, he wrapped his around hers.

‘Promise.’

‘I promise.’

-

Entering the building for the second time, Credence was wracked with nerves. He hadn’t fully acknowledged the beauty of it the first time. It was a classic beauty, around a hundred foot high, a large, stone building with golden doors, crusted in rust. Ivy snaked around the bottom, twisting and climbing several feet.

A woman was approaching him. He felt a warmth course through his body as soon as he identified her- Tina. She made him feel safe. He recounted all of the times that she’d vouched for him, helped him get away from Mary-Lou. She was a friend, someone that Credence had trusted since he was eleven years old. ’Credence?’

He grinned, for the first time in a while. ‘Tina.’

‘Graves is waiting for you in his office- I’ll take you there if you’d like?’

Gratefully, Credence followed her into the building and down the same narrow corridor. The butterflies in his stomach were building up again.

‘How’s Modesty?’

‘Same old. I took her to school and left after. I think she’s doing okay. I only really see her at home.’

Tina nodded. ‘Have you heard from Charity yet?’

‘No.’

‘I’m sure she’ll get in touch.’ She assured him. Neither of them truly believed this, however. Credence nodded anyway.

‘Well, here we are.’ Tina stopped brusquely and gestured to the door, knocking twice. ‘He’s inside.’

‘Come in!’

‘Thanks, Tina.’

‘Anytime. See you around, Credence.’ She smiled.

He opened the door to see Graves, sitting at his desk. ‘Hello,’ He looked up, observing Credence. ‘Come and sit down.’

Nervously, Credence sat on the wooden chair.

‘How have you been?’ Graves said. His head was down again, writing in a notebook.

‘Ok.’ Credence replied, honestly. Since Wednesday, he hadn’t been physically hurt by anyone. Which was positive.

‘That’s good, right?’

‘Yeah.’

‘So.’ He stopped writing, twiddling his pen between his fingers. ‘You’re seventeen, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘How long have you been at the home for?’

‘As long as I can remember. Sixteen years, I think.’

‘Tell me about Mary-Lou.’ Graves said, sitting back in his chair. He was watching Credence carefully. ‘When did it all start?’

‘Well, I- uh… I guess when I was old enough to walk and talk. I don’t remember when it started, but I always knew that it was coming- my sister, Charity, well- my adoptive sister, it happened to her first. We used to take baths together when we were younger.’ Credence hesitated. His hand was shaking. ‘I remember seeing her body, and it being covered in these- these _red_ scratches... and scars. And bruises. Mary Lou would scrub her really really hard, and she would scream. She would never hurt me like that, though. It was a few years later that I really remember her doing that to me. Charity was eleven, and decided that she didn’t want to share a bath with me anymore. So it was just me and her.’ He swallowed.

‘And what happened?’ Graves asked kindly. Cautiously.

‘She would get- angry at me. For no reason. The scrubber that she used on Charity she used on me, and it hurt- she scrubbed so hard. This one time- it was my fault, I know it was. I ran away. I was so afraid of her, that when she called me for bathing time I hid under my bed for two hours.

‘She dragged me out by my hair. I remember it so well because I’d never seen her so angry. Once I’d got out from under the bed, she threw me over her shoulder- I don’t think she was using then. She was strong. She stripped me naked but she didn’t put me in the bath. Instead, she got out this new scrubber.’

Graves sat up suddenly. His hand gripped the desk.

‘It was… wiry and brittle. She would scour my skin- dry- until it was rough and bleeding. I still have some of the scars.’

‘Oh… Credence. I’m so sorry.’ Graves looked mortified. ‘That’s- awful.’

Credence shrugged. ‘It’s in the cupboard still, she gets it out when she’s mad at me sometimes. Just to frighten me.’

‘It’s not your fault, though. By any means.’ He looked at him fiercely. ‘Understand that, please. It is not your fault.’

‘It was, really, that time. I hid, and I shouldn't have.’

‘Credence.’

‘Really.’

‘Please.’

‘It’s fine.’


	6. 1.6

‘You look nice.’

Tina smirked, a faint tinge appearing on her cheeks. ‘You brush up well yourself.’

Graves smiled. It was true, she did look very nice- she was wearing a dark dress under a long navy overcoat. She had red lipstick on.

He shivered.

‘So,’ She stepped out of the foot of the door and walked to the car. ‘Where are you taking me tonight?’

‘Downtown. There’s a lovely French restaurant really close to here.’ He opened the door for her, and she slid in the front seat. ‘How was work?’

‘Fine. Piquery closed the Potter case this morning. Fleamont’s sailing over to Britain to live in England tomorrow - he has family there. The parents are also being taken overseas, but they’re going to the prison.’

Graves let out a low whistle. ‘Not Azkaban?’

She nodded sadly. ‘Poor kid. They weren’t fit to be parents, but no one deserves Azkaban.’

They were, of course, referring to the notorious Azkaban prison just north of the English mainland- where the truly worst prisoners went. Graves knew that Tina had been working on this abuse case as a social worker for coming up to eighteen months- it was so important that half of the child protection sector had to be involved.

‘Anyway.’ They were approaching the restaurant. Tina lifted a finger up, as to halt the conversation. ‘Let’s not talk about work. Is this the one you were talking about?’

‘Yep. Let’s go- we have a reservation.’ Hastily, he climbed out of the car and opened Tina’s door, offering her his arm with a slight smile. Awkwardly, she took it, and they walked, hand-in-arm, into the restaurant.

-

‘Bonsoir, Monsieur- Madam. ‘Ow may I ‘elp you?’

‘Reservation for two, please. Oh- under Mr Percival Graves.’

‘Ah!’ The waiter smiled, his broad moustache stretching with his grin. ‘Monsieur Graves, if you would come wiz me please?’

The pair followed the man to a small round table in a secluded corner of the restaurant. It was a lovely place, with wine red walls and a huge chandelier in the centre of the room, dripping in diamonds. Piled high another corner were at least a hundred old books, crusted in gilt writing. Against another wall close by was another pile, unlit candles and crystal balls scattered around. The books were almost toppling over, but to Graves’ eye, it did not seem a crowded room- it gave one the impression of a little Paris. It was a lovely restaurant. Graves felt himself breathe a sigh of relief as he looked at Tina from the corner of his eye- she was gazing around in wonder as she sat down at the table, before tearing her eyes away to look at the menu.

‘For the drinks, Monsieur? Madam?’

‘Is red wine okay?’ Graves asked Tina. She nodded.

‘Bien, bien. And ze meal- what will it be?’

‘Je voudrais le plat du jour, merci,’ Tina said, surveying the menu ‘Sans oignons.’

The waiter nodded, mumbling happily in French under his breath. ‘Et Monsieur?’

Graves had never felt so uncultured in his life.

‘I’ll have what the lady is having. Thanks.’

He nodded curtly, ever so slightly extending his back to a bow. ‘Zis will be ready very shortly.’

When he left, Tina laughed. ‘It’s soup, by the way. Do you like onions?’ He shook his head. ‘Good.’

‘Alors,’ He grinned. ‘Parlez-vous Français, Madam Goldstein?’

She blushed. ‘Un peu. Et toi, Percy?’

‘Not a bit. That’s pretty much all I know.’ He laughed.

‘How have you been?’ She asked. ‘I feel like we haven’t properly talked in a while.’

The drinks arrived as she spoke. ‘Fine,’ he responded. ‘I spoke to Credence this afternoon-’

‘-What did I say? No work-talk for once.’

His hands raised up around her shoulders in mock defeat. ‘Sorry, mom.’

Tina made a face. 'Don't call me that. So- how’s life outside of work?’

‘Not much is happening. There’s life outside of work, but that’s just Saturday and Sunday. Just reading, working, that sort of thing. I guess.’

She looked up. ‘Our food’s coming.’

-

Tina let him walk her to her doorstep.

‘I had a great night, Percy.’ She said softly. ‘Thank you ever so much for taking me.’

He said nothing but looked at her, suddenly taken aback by how much he had missed her. She was so beautiful, so clever, so amazing, so Tina. He was suddenly struck with the urge to cry over how much he cared for her and how much they had lost. Her eyes almost glittered in the dark, her dark hair striking against her pale skin and the redness in her cheeks from the cold. He needed to tell her how he felt before she went inside.

‘I love you.’

At that moment she flung her arms around him, pressing her lips against his. He staggered slightly and after a split second of retaining his balance, he kissed her back. He was seeing stars. She was firm, yet soft. He knew her so well, her body- it was so normal, so familiar- his lips opened and he could taste her, sweet, sweet Tina, their tongues intertwined, their bodies firmly pressed together against the biting wind. And nothing else mattered- there was only Tina. Her. The love of his life.

‘Come inside.’

-

Tangled together they stumbled through the doorway, mouths never parting. Graves felt an inhumane love course through him as he held her- there was nothing quite like this in the world. They stumbled to her room and fell onto her bed, Tina straddling Graves. ‘Are you sure- you want- to do- this?’ Tina gasped between kisses.

He gave a grunt of assent and slipped his hand up her back, fumbling with the zip of her dress. Her hands glided over his shirt, unbuttoning it with such ease, and then moved south to his trousers. Very soon they were both naked, clothes discarded elsewhere on the bed, locked in an embrace. He’d wanted to kiss her- every part of her- so he could know her fully again. Graves felt her shiver as he traced his mouth up to the curve of her waist, the swell of her breasts, the nape of her neck. He had forgotten how small she was; or rather, how big he was in comparison to her. A thrill ran up his back as her slender fingers slid around, almost tense around his shoulder blades.

And when he was inside her it felt real, truly real- as if a veil had been stripped from between them and he was seeing her and she was seeing him and they were together as one and the universe had somehow worked in his favour. For once. She moaned, her eyelids fluttering in ecstasy and her lips parted slightly. Her back arched when she came, and Graves was struck by how nothing had changed. It had been six years since they had last made love, Tina thirty-one and Graves thirty-five, yet it felt as though it had been yesterday- he knew the blueprint of Porpentina Goldstein, how she ticked and her innermost mechanisms. But they were older now, and deep down he knew that it had to be different. Something had changed. And if he hadn’t fucked it up six years ago, it might have been the same.

 

When it was over, she lit a cigarette.

She watched him as she smoked, her eyes glancing over every inch of his body as he put his clothes back on. ‘I’ve really missed you.’

‘Me too. Thanks for letting me take you out.’

Tin pouted. ‘I don’t want you to go.’

He kissed her on the mouth quickly. ‘I can stay, if you want.’

The phone rang.

She leaned closer, her bare body on the bed just inches away from his. ‘Stay. But answer the phone.’

‘Because I love you.’ He chuckled, walking towards the clunky object.

‘Tell them I’m out.’

He smirked, picking up the phone. He was about to answer when the small, static voice through the line spoke first. ‘Tina? Is that you?’

His blood ran cold and his fingers slipped, almost dropping the phone. Quickly he recovered himself, but his hands felt like butter. ‘Uh, no. It’s Perciv- erm, Graves.’

He heard her faint intake of breath and then her high, dreamy voice spoke again. ‘Percy? Oh, it’s been so long since we last spoke. How’ve you been doing, darl? I assume Jacob told you that we’re engaged to be married?’

‘Now’s not- now isn’t the, er, time. Queenie.’ He muttered. He glanced at Tina then and watched the smile slip off her face. She rose hastily and snatched the phone from him.

‘Queenie? Why are you calling? It’s eleven in the evening.’ She questioned. Her face scrunched up, keeping her eyes fixed on Graves. ‘Yes… Uh-huh… Not now, tomorrow afternoon would be better- oh. Oh. No… he’s not, we… well! It’s none of your business! Really, Queenie… I don’t _care_ what the stars are saying! I’m tired, and it doesn’t concern you what he’s doing here. _No_ … I don’t want to talk about it. Goodnight.’

Stonily she put the phone back in the receiver, stubbing her cigarette out against the dials.

‘Is everything okay?’

‘No. I mean, yes- it’s fine. But no, sort of. She wants to meet up soon so I can help with the wedding, but it just- brought up some…. stuff…’

‘You mean that it reminded you of-’

‘Yeah.’

‘Oh.’

There was a hesitant silence. Graves was too afraid to say anything or to touch her, so he let her think.

She exhaled slowly, and he noticed that the faint traces of anger were gone- replaced by sadness.

‘I think that this was a bad idea.’ She mumbled. Her lower lip was trembling. ‘I need some…. I need some time, please.’

‘I love you- It’s always been you, Tina-’

‘Please.’ She cut him off sharply, but she spoke quietly. Her eyes found him, and they were glassy. She blinked, and a tear slipped down her cheek. ‘Go home, Percival.’

‘We never talked about what happened that day.’

Her head gave a faint jerk. ‘I don’t want to talk about what happened that day.’

‘Tina.’

‘Please. I love you- I do, but this happened too quickly. It was a mistake. Please… I want to be alone.’

‘Okay. Okay, Tina.’ He nodded slowly. His eyes lowered as he gathered his things- a coat and a wallet. He didn’t look at her again as he closed her door. Graves was afraid to let her see him cry.


	7. 1.7

**SIX YEARS PREVIOUSLY**

It had not been a good 48 hours for Graves.

He was almost certain that him and Tina had broken up for good now. They’d argued though the whole evening yesterday, which meant that he’d had a sleepless night. She’d decided to sleep on the floor of their hotel out of stubbornness, and Graves had honestly thought that in the morning, it would all be resolved. Even though he was mad, he couldn’t bear to let her sleep like that, so they swopped and she got the bed.

But in the morning, she was gone.

Her clothes, her work, everything. Nothing was left behind, not even a note to explain.

He’d remembered what she had said the previous night. ‘Fuck you,’ she’d spat, looking at her husband in contempt. ‘I feel like I’m never right about anything. I can’t take on a single fucking case without you wanting your say in it. I don’t care that you’ve been demoted to child protection, but those kids are my life. I will not have you acting like this is just another- another… job.’

When he’d replied that it was only a job, Tina exploded.

He felt incredible hostility towards her in the last few weeks- he’d had a stable, high-up government job only to be demoted because of the ‘cuts’ that were taking place. Tina hadn’t been supportive at all, if anything, she’d made him feel as if he couldn’t express his disappointment. She was a social worker, and he knew how importantly she took her job.

They’d only ever argued about work.

Trying to push it away, he stood up from his desk. He was going to take an early break, and by ‘break’, Graves actually meant sick leave. He’d take two days off of work to clear his head, and then contact Tina again.

 

When he’d stepped outside, someone was waiting for him. It was Queenie, Tina’s younger sister. Even though the wind was biting and there was a haze of snowflakes slapping against the pavements, she wasn’t wearing a hat or scarf. Her blonde hair hung in ringlets down to her chin, framing her face as the breeze whipped it harshly against her neck. She was shivering, and when he walked closer to her he realised that she was crying.

‘What are you doing here, Queenie?’ He asked her, his brows furrowing together in concern.

‘I- I broke up with Runcorn.’ She’d stammered. ‘It was stupid of me.’

‘Hey.’ Graves frowned, and took her hands in his. It was unusual for a lady to be outside- especially in the winter- without her gloves on. Her fingernails were blue. ‘You’re freezing. Let’s find somewhere to sit down, Queenie.’

He guided her down the road and into the first open place he saw- a warm little bistro. Everyone had been inside drinking hot chocolate, huddled together in protection against the cold outside.

After ordering their drinks, Queenie and Graves sat down at a table together. She shook off her coat to reveal a thin brown dress underneath. It was ugly, which was strange- Queenie was always very on top of fashion. To Graves’ knowledge, she wouldn’t usually be caught dead in something like that. Which led to the second shock; he was startled to see how unnaturally thin she was. Unless she had something else going on in her life, he presumed that she had been unhappy in her relationship for a while now. Usually, Queenie was a very feminine, curvy sort of figure- but now she was gaunt and thin, with hollows in her cheeks that he didn’t fully notice until that moment. She was also present. The Queenie that Graves knew was dreamy and mystical, so it was odd to have her full attention.

‘So.’ Graves blew on his coffee. ‘Talk to me about Runcorn.’

‘It’s just that- we’ve- me and him- we’d been going steady since high school, and I’m a grown woman now. I’m getting on a bit, at twenty-eight… I should’ve had children by now, we should’ve been married… but I didn’t really love him, and he didn’t love me either- so…’

‘Queenie.’ He looked her in the eye as he spoke. ‘I’m really, truly sorry.’

She shook her head, her curls catching softly at her neck. ‘No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have involved you with this- surely you don’t care about my fickle relationship problems.’

He took a sip of his coffee. ‘I think Tina broke up with me last night.’

Queenie stared at him for a moment, shocked. ‘No way.’

‘Yeah.’ Graves looked down into his cup, watching the steam rise in swirls. ‘Now I have to get over her.’

‘You love her, though.’

‘Of course.’ He’d said bitterly. ‘Tina is the fucking love of my life. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.’

Queenie didn’t say anything, so he continued.

‘She’s the love of my life,’ he repeated. A little louder. ‘But I feel so… angry. She didn’t even give an explanation. She just said “I need time”. What kind of excuse is that?’

She laughed lightly. ‘I guess we both got screwed over, huh?’

He looked up at her. What were the odds, he thought, that both of them would lose an amazing relationship at the same time. It was strange how the universe worked that way. What he also noticed was that although she had just laughed, there were tears pooling in her eyes.

‘I just feel so lonely.’

‘-I have a hotel.’ Graves had blurted out suddenly. He cursed himself mentally for saying it, but for some reason he found that he had more to say to his sister-in-law. ‘Come back with me- you won’t be alone then.’

He’d always thought that her and Tina had looked alike, but now he wasn’t so sure.

She hesitated.


	8. 1.8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi, just going to plonk a bit phat trigger warning on the beginning of this chapter/ self harm, graphic sexual depictions etc, that sort of thing. want u all to b safe x

‘Mary Lou, I’m home.’ Credence said as he passed her. She was slumped on the sofa in the living room, her blank eyes staring unseeingly a spot in the distance. Credence doubted that she had had anything to eat today; she looked gaunt. Her brown hair was matted in clumps, half up and half down. But the relief came from seeing that she had not used that day. Her stringy arms were stretched out on the sofa instead of clutching at the crook in her left elbow.

He walked on, into his room.

His feet dragged along the scuffed carpet. It was an untidy house. By technicality, it was an ‘orphanage’, so Credence was grateful that it was large. He had his own room, after all. Privacy was important for him.

Mary Lou kept her drugs locked in a cabinet in her bathroom. All of the kids knew it because she would stuff it full with powder and liquids and any substance that she could abuse. It was not a secret. The littler kids would watch, trailing their blankets behind them and sucking their thumbs, looking at her back sorrowfully. She didn’t care enough; as soon as she was done stocking up she would put the key in her undergarments for safety.

When Credence reached his bedroom, he unbuckled his belt and shook off his oversized pants. He lay on the bed in his underwear. He decided to touch himself, just to feel something.

He slipped off his underwear and wrapped a hand around his penis. Up and down, up and down, he gradually increased in speed, and his breath grew shorter and shorter. It felt pleasant, but it wasn’t something that he’d do very often- it just didn’t interest him. He became almost frantic, cock getting more and more erect as he fumbled with himself. It was uncomfortable now, and strangely his vision blurred, and all he could see was the face Mr Graves. A moan escaped his lips, and he could think only of being fucked by him. The thought was so good that he came uncontrollably over his bed sheets.

-

He lay in bed later, wondering what sex with Mr Graves would be like. Graphic imagery arose in his head, he thought of him spreading Credence’s ass cheeks and pounding his cock in deep inside of him. He imagined fucking against a wall, bruising his hips as they were knocked continuously against the hard surface. He also imagined them kissing, Mr Graves’ lips roughly pressed against Credence’s, their tongues in each others mouths as they held each other in a naked embrace.

It wanted it so badly.

It was dark outside now. He checked the clock. _11:01pm._

He reached for the razor on his bedside table without thinking. Self harm was more routine than masturbation for Credence.

He made the first cut. His fingers shook slightly as the razor glided along his hip. It was a shallow cut, but out of reflex he winced. A red mark appeared on his skin instantaneously. He had another go, but this time slightly harder.

Credence breathed a sigh of relief.

A spill of blood dribbled out from the slit, trailing down his thigh. A wave of ecstasy overcame him and he cut this thigh again, a centimetre away from the second one. It was over a healing wound from about a week ago, the angry red skin risen slightly like a welt, stretched tightly across his skin. He made the third incision and it split, this time producing a violent leak of blood. A stab of agonising pain overcame Credence, and it exhilarated him. Fourth cut. Fifth.

His heart was pounding. It was just too easy, too _simple_ for him to kill himself right there and then. He knew that he was capable of it.

But it was Mr Graves that made him decide otherwise. If he’d decided to press a bit harder, and on a vein (he’d hungrily scanned the biology essays in the school library for information on the jugular), then he could end it all. But the thought of never seeing him again was too hard to bear.

Credence had decided that he loved him. He was certain of it. The way he looked, spoke, acted- the way he took care of Credence; he knew that he was deeply in love.

And that was what would get him through the days.


	9. 1.9

He couldn’t stop thinking.

It was seven am in the morning, and Graves had been up since four. As it was Thursday, his work was scheduled to begin late (twelve pm) and end late (eleven pm). Today was a busy day in the office- two child neglect cases, one abuse trial and the paperwork kept on coming. There was so much work to do.

And Graves was so tired.

He forced himself out of bed, ignoring a sharp pain in his temple. Groggily, he walked towards the bathroom and looked in the mirror. He needed to shave again. It was a while since he had last done it, just from pure laziness. His stubble was gradually forming a beard. He picked up the razor.

‘ _Christ_ ,’ He said, dropping it into the sink. A spot of blood dripped from his chin into the sink. ‘Jesus. _Fuck_.’

He hopped, almost comically around the bathroom, hand cupped over his wound. Eventually, he found the plasters and applied one.

-

He’d dreamt about the affair again.

Well- it was a leap to call it an affair. It was one afternoon that became one evening that became one morning, and then they went their separate ways. And besides, he and Tina had technically broken up. But it was still the worst thing he’d ever done in his life.

He told Tina the next day. He hadn’t confronted Queenie about it, but being honest was the best thing that he could’ve done. Tina had told him that she hated him and didn’t speak to him for four years.

He couldn’t stop thinking. Or overthinking.


	10. 1.10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> happy release day of the crimes of grindlewald! i am seeing it next week and i want to get this finished before i see it so it doesn't mess w my headcanon. (also, not prepared to not have colin farrell in as graves i miss him already)  
> here is a special tina and mary lou chap xx

Tina had knocked on the door two minutes ago and there was still no response.

However, she was frightened and the fact that the door had not yet been answered was slightly soothing to her. Perhaps if no one came to the door, she wouldn’t have to talk to the woman that she disliked most in the world.

Why was it always _her,_ she wondered- why was it always her that had to clean up the mess whenever Mary Lou had been reported to have abused one of her children? Of all people. She hated talking to her- she hated her face, her actions, her house- everything around her seemed to… _die._ Tina also.

She knocked again.

5,4,3,2

‘-Who is it?’ A hoarse, low voice spoke warily from behind the door.

‘It’s uh- it’s Tina. Can I speak to you, please?’ She replied nervously.

There was a silence which was followed by Mary Lou opening the door. Tina could see the shock registering on her face. Her bloodshot eyes widened in something that she could only describe as fear, and she stumbled back into the corridor. ‘What the fuck are you doing here?’

‘Can I come in?’

‘What the _fuck_ are you doing here, Porpentina?’

Tina stuck her tongue in her cheek irritably. ‘Let me come in, please.’

 

They walked to Mary Lou’s room in silence. She didn’t offer her any tea or biscuits, but that was characteristic of Mary Lou.

Tina looked around as she walked. It had been so long since she’d last looked around, but not much had changed. She hadn’t realised that she could smell emotions before she visited the orphanage. But she could, and Mary Lou’s house smelt of loneliness. The wallpapers were peeling, exposing the yellow undercoat riddled with mould. The carpets were a murky colour, darkened through the years from muddy boots and neglect. Two children peeked their heads out from behind their doors. They looked lost, one of them clutching a dirty blanket, the other with snot crusted around his nose. Tina watched, almost disconnected, as Mary Lou scolded them and they ran back into their respective rooms. A perverse thrill of nostalgia coarsed through her.

‘Sit down anywhere,’ Mary Lou said, extending a gangly arm to the living room. It was almost bare except for a dingy, holey armchair and an incongruous art-nouveau glass table. Awkwardly, Tina perched on the edge of the seat and tried to look as serious as possible. Mary Lou looked at her expectantly.

She took a deep breath. ‘Queenie told you that she is getting married, I assume?’

Mary Lou looked almost taken aback but recovered herself, scowling. ‘About time the slut’s engaged. How many boys has she been with? Five? Six?’

‘Four,’ Tina replied quickly. ‘And don’t call her that. She wanted me to ask if you’d come. Father’s gone, and… she wanted you to give her away.’

She snorted with laughter ungraciously, her stringy brown-grey hair falling into her eyes. ‘That’s not very traditional. What in the world- _I_ can’t walk her down the aisle.’

‘Why not?’

‘You know how society sees me.’

Tina rolled her eyes. ‘You know Queenie. She’s never cared what anyone thinks.’

Mary Lou narrowed her eyes, her laughter ceasing abruptly. ‘No. I’d rather not, anyhow.’

‘Come, at least.’ Tina said quietly. It was so strange that she was now pleading. ‘At least attend the wedding. Queenie would be so happy to see you there.’

‘I have the children to look after.’

‘Please.’ She rolled her eyes again. ‘You don’t look after the children.’

‘So _that’s_ why you’re here.’ Mary Lou nodded triumphantly, her yellow nails pushing her hair behind her ears. Tina had her full attention now. ‘You want to talk about the children. Again. So- go on, Porpentina- what’s your problem now?’

‘You know what my problem is.’ She replied carefully.

‘Humour me.’

She scowled. ‘This isn’t your first warning, Mary.’

‘Since when have you called me Mary?’ She responded lightly, a touch amused.

Tina sighed impatiently. ’If you keep Credence, you have to stop abusing him. Or we’re going to have to take legal action again.’

Mary Lou looked bored, her eyes wandering up to the cabinet above Tina’s head. ‘Don’t threaten me, Porpentina.’

‘It’s not a hard task. He’s nearly an adult now- that is all of the memories he’ll have from you. You can’t _do_ this to him.’

‘Tina- I’m your mother. I’ll do as I please.’

‘You’re not my _mom._ ’ There was a steely glint in her eye as she glared at the woman opposite. ‘You weren’t there for me or Queenie when we needed you.’

‘I gave _birth_ to you.’ Mary Lou snapped angrily. It had been years since Tina last saw her like this; the drugs she so adored made her tranquil and passive. But now she was completely alert, her eyes narrowed in annoyance. ‘You’re _mine._ ’

Tina could feel her nails digging into her palms painfully. She didn’t like to get angry and did so very rarely, but she just couldn’t stand Mary Lou. Taking a collected breath, she spoke again. ‘I have no mother.’

‘Then I’ll do what I want to the boy.’

Instinctively Tina leaped across the room, lunging for her mothers throat. Angrily, her fingers closed around her neck. Mary Lou’s eyes popped as she gasped for air. ‘Don’t you _dare_ touch that boy again. If you lay a _finger_ on him, I swear to God… I’ll kill you. I will actually kill you.’ She spat, her eyes wide with anger.

With surprising strength, Mary Lou removed herself from Tina’s tight grip. She massaged her neck in silence and, after a few momentsin which she recovered herself, glared at her daughter. ‘You’re dead to me, Tina. Get the fuck out of my house or I’ll call the cops.’


	11. 1.11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi i did a double upload not that anyone cares lol but in celebration of fbawtft 2 u know. it's the end of the first part, so i am going to take a wee break to write out the whole of part 2 because i've been uploading frequently. i know what's going to happen so for all 3 of you reading this :-) :-)

Mary Lou received the worst letter of her life.

It was a court date, she should’ve seen it coming. Since Tina had visited last week, she had shot up more times than she could count. And it was more than just heroine this time- anything that she could get her hands on: alcohol, tobacco, cocaine. It was a way to deal with the pain of her loss and anger and despair. It was a way to stop feeling for a few hours, to drown her grief in drugs.

The court date was set for the 15th of October, in three months time. As soon as the letter appeared on her doorstep, she knew- the grey MACUSA stamp on the front of the envelope was a clear sign that the government was not best pleased with her. She also knew immediately what it was for, too. From the moment she had kicked Tina out, she regretted her word choices. She should’ve known that she was going to file a lawsuit against her.

Vaguely, she had wondered about killing herself before the court date. But her heart wasn’t in it- she didn’t want to die, it was too inconvenient. Also, the thought of one of the kids finding her was too much for her to think about. She cared about them too much for that to happen.

In this way, she cared for the children. She wanted to protect them from external harm, things that she could prevent from happening. However, she understood that her behaviour towards some of them was despicable in other people’s eyes- but that was just her way of operating.

Hazily, she sat up on her bed. Her head was aching badly. On her dressing table, there was a needle filled with amber liquid left over from last night, and she wondered if she would feel better after using it. Probably not, but she decided that she would do so anyway.

When she was six years old, she was raped by a family friend.

Her mother hadn’t known. She suspected that father knew, but would never say anything. So she did not either- if she didn’t mention it, then it couldn’t have happened.

But from that moment on, she hated every man in the world.

It was easier that way, no man to rely on or to be let down by. There was no reason for her to trust a man, therefore couldn’t get herself into that situation again. Until she met Edward.

He was the only man she’d ever truly cared for- Edward was the love of Mary Lou’s life. Until he died of pneumonia at the age of twenty-six, two years after their second child Queenie was born.

It hadn’t been easy raising Tina and Queenie alone after he died. It was easier to forget that they existed because Edward was the only constant, the only person that ever _mattered_ in her life. She wasn’t even sure that she loved them- they looked too much like her; Tina had her eyes, Queenie had her nose. It was impossible to know that they were related to Edward, so when he died she despised them.

When Tina left home at fifteen, she took Queenie with her. And Mary-Lou took drugs.

Mary Lou grasped the needle in her hands, her fingers shaking. Everything needed to stop, for one second at least. Drugs was the only way to get it. Everything had more clarity, and she could feel Edward with her. She was sure that he still loved her even though she had grown haggard and worn, much older than her fifty-six years.

Her belt was in the wardrobe, but she was so familiar with her veins now that she didn’t need them to be prominent to know where they were. She pressed the needle her left arm and pushed, the liquid flowing into her skin. It was okay again.

And in that moment, everything stopped.

‘Edward.’ She breathed.

**END OF PART ONE**


	12. Part 2: 2.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so basically.  
> i took a week break and i had a few chapters done but then i realised crap i'm going to see the crimes of grindlewald tomorrow, i have to finish this so it doesn't mess up my vision of the ending. so i finished it lol.hope u like this chapter. please comment/kudos/ etc, it makes me really happy! :-)

**PART TWO**

‘The court is now in session.’

Graves sat down nervously. Beside him, Tina perched at the end of her seat bouncing her knee up and down restlessly. He noticed that she gripped her handbag tightly in a fist, so tightly that her knuckles were white. She glanced at him and smiled briefly before turning her eyes to the front of the court.

Graves glanced at Mary-Lou; she was sitting down alone, white as a sheet. Her lawyer was very young and standing, arranging his files. He almost felt _sorry_ for her- although this was all her fault, the circumstances in which this all happened were unfortunate- if she had had a better environment growing up, who could say what would’ve happened?

‘In your case, Mrs Barebone, I have to consider the remaining counts in totality. On counts 17, 19 and 30 there will be concurrent sentences of 12 months. You are a deeply corrupting influence; you are a danger to society. The public need protection from you.’

‘Objection, your honour-’ The lawyer started.

‘-Overruled,’ he dismissed. ‘I very much bear in mind that such a sentence is one of last resort. The alternative is a very long extended sentence- in my judgment, justice and protection of the public can and should be achieved by your absence. I propose that we take a ten minute pause so that the jury can make their decision.’

-

The air was thick with tension, and Credence was wracked with nerves. He had absolutely no faith in Mary Lou’s government-assigned lawyer, yet he couldn’t help feeling a pang of terror when he thought about what may happen if she was released. It had been a difficult few months being around her, and he did everything he could to avoid being in the same room as her. She hadn’t beat him since before she’d received the court date, but this didn’t stop his fear of her. He’d suspected that the _reason_ she didn’t lay a finger on him was because it wouldn’t help her case, but if she was let out, what would she do to him then?

Credence’s only consolation was Tina and Mr Graves a few rows behind him. He felt their energy, and through that he felt infinitely stronger sitting there alone, just a few meters and a barrier away from Mary Lou herself.

‘Could I have the jury’s final decision, please?’

An old man from the front row stood up quickly, hands closed around a single sheet of paper. Credence daren’t breathe in that moment, his chest felt as if it was going to burst. His hands were shaking like mad. _Count,_ he thought to himself. _Count to five and it will be over._

One.

Two. Three.

Four.

‘The jury finds Mrs Mary Lou Barebone guilty on all accounts.’ _Five._

A collective sigh of relief washed through the air. He caught Tina’s eye from the back and she beamed at him. Sitting next to her was Mr Graves, who looked at him, unsmiling, with a steely triumphant stare of pride. Credence felt a warm feeling within himself.

The judge surveyed Mary Lou pointedly through his lenses. ‘Do you have anything to say for yourself?’

There was a silence in the hall in that moment. All eyes turned to Mary Lou, who’s eyes darted restlessly around the room. Hesitantly, she took a sip of water with a shaky hand, which dribbled down her front. Eventually, she croaked out: ‘Who was there for me when I needed help?’

Quiet murmurs spread through the room, before the judge called for silence. ‘All other sentence will be concurrent. Your sentence is therefore one of thirty-six months; you will have to serve eighteen months of the custodial term before you can be considered for release by the Parole Board. Once released, you will be instated with a restraining order of 50 metres from Mr Credence Barebone. There is no merit in an appeal. Court adjourned.’

Gradual chatter arose in the room and the tension lifted as the judge exited the room. People stood up and stretched, before leaving. Not that Credence noticed any of this, though. He sat, as though chained in his seat, as everybody including Mary Lou left the court. He trembled as he saw her feet drag across the floor and heard her whimper his name as she passed. Frozen, he kept his eyes on the floor.

It was all over. It was simple for the rest of the court, who could go home to their families and brush this off as ‘just another day’. But this had changed his _life._ He could feel the hot tears pooling in his eyes and made no attempt to conceal them, letting them drip down his cheeks slowly.

After about five minutes and it had quietened considerably, a small shadow of a woman appeared by his left leg. He recognised her instantly as Tina. They sat in silence for at least ten minutes, before she spoke. ‘Let’s go home, Credence.’


	13. 2.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hot dang. so i watched the crimes of grindelwald and i am here to say that johnny depp still looks like a drowned rat but but some respec on queenie's name we have no queenie bashing in this household. thanx

‘Credence, can you come here, please?’

Tina was sitting on the edge of a chair when she called, her palm open.

Credence approached warily. ‘Is everything okay, Tina?’

‘What are these for, Credence?’ Tina asked quietly. In her palm were three small razor blades.

His heart dropped. ‘I-’

‘-I found these in your bathroom. They aren’t for shaving. Credence, please tell me what’s going on.’

Credence hesitated. There was no way around it, no use lying. There was no point evading the truth any longer- especially not from Tina. ‘I hurt myself.’

‘You… hurt yourself?’

‘I cut myself.’

‘Why? Tina asked evenly. Her tone was composed, but tears were pooling in her eyes. ‘Why did you do this?’

‘I don’t know.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s a way of dealing with pain.’

‘They’ll put you in the mad house for this, Credence! You’ll never see your family again if people see this- they’ll think you’re crazy!’

‘Maybe I am,’ Credence mumbled. ‘Maybe that’s what’s best for me.’

‘Please don’t say that.’ Tina pleaded, taking his hand. ‘There are people out there that love you. Like me. I care about you _so much-_ so does Graves- we want to make sure that nothing happens to you. You’re going to be alright.’

‘You- you _love_ me?’ Credence stammered. It was too much to take in, he could feel himself tearing up. He had never known that he was loveable. ‘No one’s ever said that to me before.’

‘Of _course,_ Credence,’ Tina said. ‘You’re like a _son_ to me. That’s why I’m so upset- I want you to be safe here with me.’

‘I- I love you too, Tina.’ He sobbed. ‘Thank you so much.’

She ruffled his hair and pulled him into a hug. ‘Don’t apologise, silly boy. We’re family.’

Credence couldn’t stop weeping. It may have been ten minutes, an hour, two- but it didn’t matter. They continued to hold each other, and all Credence knew now that he was safe, and he had never felt more at home.


	14. 2.3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am sorry for posting literally twice a day, the reason for this is that i have finished the fic and i kind of want to just get it all posted asap. sorry to spam anyones notifications. ooh ooh also i just started a new ginny x hermione fanfic called 'lullaby' it's just a couple of chapters worth of xmas fluff so maybe check it out if u want? haha. pls.

‘I have to ask you a favour, Perce.’

‘Anything, Jacob.’ Graves responded, smiling as he scraped his chair back and rested his feet on his desk. ‘Come in.’

Jacob entered his office with a mug of coffee and a couple of sheets of paperwork in one hand, his eyes glittering with excitement. ‘How long have you got?’

He checked his watch. ‘Not too long. I’m seeing Credence at four.’

‘I’ll keep it short, then.’ Jacob grinned. ‘Percival Graves.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Jacob Kowalski…?’

‘You’re the best man I know. And seeing as I’m getting married in a week, I thought it best to make some last minute arrangements. Queenie and I were supposed to keep it relaxed- and it will be- but we decided that I would be needing the best man. And I can only think of one man for the job.’

‘What?’ Graves said, shocked. ‘What are you saying?'

‘Will you be my best man, Percy?’ Jacob asked. His round face was shining, a grin spread wide over his face. _He looked so hapless_ , Graves thought, _with his shabby brown shoes and too-small-suit._ Indeed, Jacob was his best friend, but could he go through with this having had such relations with Jacob’s fiancée? It was unheard of.

‘So, what do you say?’ He said, with slightly less enthusiasm. ‘Percy?’

‘I-’ Graves couldn’t think of anything to say. ‘I- why _me_?’

Jacob frowned setting down his mug on Graves’ desk. ‘Well,’ he responded diplomatically. ‘Because a best man is supposed to be your best friend, and that’s who you are to me. I couldn’t have anyone else. Unless you don’t want to do it.’ He added quickly.

‘-No!’ His eyes widened and he shook his head frantically. ‘No, of course I want to do it. It’s just that-’

Jacob’s brows furrowed. ‘-What, Percy?’

‘-That…’ he faltered. ‘That-’

Jacob looked exasperated. ‘That _what_?’

‘That I had an affair- with Queenie.’ He blurted out hastily.

Jacob went white. ‘ _What_ did you just say?’ He said slowly.

‘I-’

‘-Percival?’ His head whipped around to the door to see Runcorn in the doorway, looking impatient. ‘Someone’s here to see you.’

‘Now’s not the time for this, Runcorn-’

‘Excuse _me_ ,’ Runcorn said sternly, waking closer to Graves. ‘But I believe that _you_ work for _me,_ not the other way around. We have a boy in here saying that he needs to speak to you now. Credence, his name was.’

‘Yes- I _know,_ ’ he snapped. ‘I’m sorry, I will be with him in just a moment-’

‘-Percival, do _not_ take that tone with me-’

‘It’s _fine_ ,’ Jacob said bitterly, eyeing up Graves as if he were a poisonous snake. ‘Go. I’ve heard enough.’

‘Jake, please listen to me-’ he started, but Jacob had already turned and stormed out of the door.


	15. 2.4

‘How have you been doing, Credence?’

‘Better.’ He replied, honestly. Living with Tina was so much better than he could’ve hoped for- she was kind to him, picking him up from school and wishing him goodnight. ‘I feel as if-as if a massive weight has been lifted from my shoulders.’

Mr Graves smiled. ‘And how are the panics? How has the tremor been?’

‘Twice in two weeks. I haven’t had the tremor at all.’

‘That’s amazing news.’ Mr Graves responded. He looked distant, a bit vague- but he stood up from his chair and walked to sit down on the chair next to Credence. A shiver of thrill ran down his spine.

He was still head over heels in love with Mr Graves. Everything he had done for him, Credence was so grateful for. He now had a family, because of this man.

‘Thank you, Mr Graves.’ He said, staring at the floor awkwardly. He was far too shy to look him in the eyes, and he was afraid that if he did, he would cry.

‘Please.’ Mr Graves touched his chin to raise it up to face him, his eyes kind. Credence felt his warm fingers on his skin and it felt as if all of the nerves in his body were in his face, and Mr Graves was setting them on fire. ‘Call me Percy.’

On impulse, Credence kissed him.

In his fantasies, Mr Graves was hard, all rough lips and stubble. But in reality, he was soft, with smooth gentle lips and a freshly shaved jaw. He wasn’t sure that he liked it. A grunt of surprise came from deep in his throat and he stiffened, hands pushing against Credence’s chest. He tore away after a split second, his chair scraping across the room away from the boy.

Graves’ hand immediately went to his mouth, wiping it as if to scrub away the deed. His eyes were wild when he spoke, darting to and away from Credence. ‘What the devil was that for?’

He started to panic. This was a mistake. He hadn’t thought it through, and he couldn’t believe that he had actually gone through with it. His hands started to tremble. ‘I-I’m sorry- I didn’t-’

 _Smash._ ‘-Percy?’ Credence’s eyes left Mr Graves’ bewildered ones and turned to the door. In it was Jacob, his mug lying in pieces, spilling coffee on the floor.


	16. 2.5

They sat in silence.

‘I’m disgusting.’ Credence spat bitterly. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Graves.’

Graves looked helplessly to Tina, who let out a quiet sob from the back of the room. After a moment, he spoke again. ‘I think that what you did was inappropriate,’ he said carefully, looking at the boy who was determinedly avoiding his gaze. ‘But do not think for a _second_ that you are disgusting. I will not have that attitude from you.’

Credence looked up quickly, tears pooling in his eyes. ‘You don’t?’

‘Credence, we’ve known each other for some time now. And I have to say- I’m not completely oblivious. I have noticed that you’ve developed a liking for me, but I chose to ignore it. Because I’ve come to like you very much, Credence Barebone- if I addressed it, legally I would be required to report your… er- _condition._ And that wouldn’t work out well for either of us.’

‘The court case would’ve fallen through, too.’ Tina added. ‘They’d put both of you away for it.’

Graves sighed. ‘It’s not entirely work-appropriate that I’ve struck up something of a friendship with you, Credence. But however long it takes for me to stress this to you, I will tell you: you are not disgusting.’

He smiled tearily at Graves, before turning to Tina. ‘Will you still- can I live with you still?’

Tina smiled wearily. ‘I’ve worked with children and young people for almost twenty years. It’ll take a little more that that to faze me, my dear.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Credence started to cry. ‘I really didn’t mean to do that- I thought that-’

Graves moved closer to the boy, and put an arm around him. ‘Forget about it. It’s alright.’

‘But I-'

‘ _Credence_ ,’ Graves said firmly. ‘Credence. _You’re alright_.’

‘Credence, could you wait outside for a moment, please?’ Tina asked delicately. ‘I need to talk to Percival _alone_ , if you don’t mind.’

‘Of course.’ He mumbled, before rushing out the room determinedly avoiding eye contact with anyone. The door shut slowly and silently.

When Tina spoke again, she spoke pointedly, with an inexorable pain to her voice. ‘You know what you have to do now, don’t you, Percy?’

He glanced at her, surveying her face. She was the only person that he knew who looked pretty when they cried- her wet lashes looked longer and her cheeks developed a pink tinge. ‘What?’

‘You have to explain this to Jacob.’


	17. 2.6

‘How’s work?’

Queenie smiled vaguely, wrapping her shawl tighter around her shoulders. ‘It’s been tough. Me and Jake have had to work overtime to make up the catering costs. But I’m fine. Working isn’t too hard on me.’

Mary Lou nodded, a tear falling to her cheek. Queenie wanted more than anything than to wipe the tear from her cheek, but her mother’s coldness prevented her from doing so. ‘And is Jacob very well?’

Queenie’s eyes lit up. ‘Mother, he’s doing just fine. And Tina is doing well, too.’ She added.

Mary Lou’s lips went thin, her eyes falling to the floor. She cleared her throat, changing the subject. ‘Have you picked a dress yet?’

‘Of course, we picked it weeks and weeks ago.’

‘No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t miss it.’ Mary Lou’s eyes met hers briefly, and then looked down again. They were watery and too-bright. ‘I am sure that it will be splendid.’

Queenie smiled, nodding in agreement. ‘Tina’s walking me down the aisle tomorrow.’

She frowned. ‘It should be a man, at least.’

‘I don’t need a man to walk me down the aisle, I have my sister.’

Mary Lou laughed then, and it wasn’t a cruel laugh. ‘You and Tina always had more… progressive views than me.’

Her eyes were still averted from Queenie’s.

‘Why won’t you look at me, Ma?’

‘Do you know why I can’t bear to look at you, Queenie?’ Mary Lou sighed, a gnarled hand reaching through the bars and touching her forehead. ‘It’s not because you look like your father. You don’t at all. But there’s one thing about you that reminds me of Edward- your heart. Both beautiful people, and you have so much love for everyone. I can’t understand that; I’ve been so awful to you, and you wanted me to walk you down the aisle.’

Queenie laughed lightly. ‘Of course. Because you’re my mother.’

‘You deserve better than this.’

‘I do. But I still love you.’

And Mary Lou was silent, so she left.


	18. 2.7

‘But Tina, I _can’t_ go-’

‘Credence, you _must._ It’s what we agreed on.’

‘It’s who I am. And I’m not sure talking to someone will help me. I’ve read about the things that they do to people like me,’ Credence said desperately. ‘They chain them up and force them to look at pictures- and induce sickness- and abuse them- I can’t take any more pain, please.’

‘It’s not like that, Credence.’

‘-There’s no other _way_ and I can’t take any more abuse. Please, Tina- I promise that I won’t do anything again. But I can’t be committed. They’ll _kill_ me.’

‘Credence.’ Tina smiled, her hands finding Credence’s. ‘I promise, you’ll be okay. She's not looking to hurt you, only help you understand yourself. I think that you will be pleasantly surprised.’

‘ _Please._ ’ Tears welled in his eyes and he looked at her imploringly. ‘Don’t make me go.’

‘But look how much you’ve progressed!’ Tina stood up suddenly, her hands outstretched fanatically. ‘I remember the first time I met you- you were eight years old and couldn’t talk to me, let alone look me in the eyes like you’re doing now! You’ve come so far- why stop now?’

‘I can’t do it.’ He said simply, allowing the tears to drip onto his cheeks. ‘I can’t.’

‘You _can._ ’ She replied, kneeling beside him. ‘I believe in you. I love you.’

He sniffed. ‘I love you, too.’

-

‘Credence.’ He turned to see a woman smiling at him. Her face was kind, dark brown eyes shining. She had light brown skin and long, wavy dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. ‘I’m Leta.’

He nodded, balling his hand into a fist. It was trembling. They were in an institution again, much like MACUSA, and he couldn’t breathe. It much reminded him of his first meeting with Mr Graves- only this time he had Tina.

‘Now, Tina tells me that you were very nervous about coming here this morning,’ She said gently. ‘Just to let you know, you have nothing to worry about. You’re not in trouble and I’m not going to hurt you.’

He nodded again.

‘If it would help, we could have Tina to stay in the room too. Would that be better for you?’

Before he could speak, Tina nodded, gripping his hand. It was clammy. ‘Yes- I think that would be a help for both of us.’ She said quietly.

‘All right then. Let’s get started,’ Leta smiled warmly at both of them and bent underneath her desk, retrieving a folder filled with notes.

‘So… you have a lot of repressed trauma, Credence. There’s no real way of telling, but my instinctive feeling is that because you were adopted and never knew your parents, you missed some vital stages of development. Of course, you had your adoptive mother, but she abused you- I believe that this made you yearn even more for the father figure you never had.’ She scanned her notes. ‘And you developed feelings for- Percival Graves, is that correct?’

Credence jerked his head awkwardly. ‘I don’t know. I felt- sexual attraction to him for a few months- but not at first. And it went away the moment that I kissed him.’

Leta nodded. ‘Yes, I understand. This may sound strange to hear, but it’s quite possible that what attracted you to him was the masculine, father figure that he presented- a kind, mature man that helped you when you were most vulnerable. And it’s quite natural that your feelings about him were conflicted because you needed a father figure but you were also coming to terms with your sexuality. So both…. intertwined. If you will.’

Credence blushed. ‘I didn’t mean for that to happen.’

‘Of course you didn’t,’ Leta replied quickly. ‘Our subconscious works in strange ways, usually beyond our control. It’s not your fault in the slightest.’

‘Will I have to do that- that- conversion thing-’

Leta cleared her throat. ‘Er- that’s not how we do things here.’ She smiled slightly, taking a sip of coffee. ‘We don’t believe in conversion therapy- it’s inhumane. What we’ll do for you is therapy. I personally think that therapy is the best route forward; as I said before, you seem to have a lot of repressed trauma. And I can help you with that.’ She paused. ‘If you’ll let me.’

He nodded. ‘Of course.’


	19. 2.8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is the last chapter! eek. thank u so much for reading this it means a lot <3 ALSO i have a bonus chapter coming soon! it'll be short but it's graves/tina so... :) please comment/kudos if u liked it, i'd really love to know!!

Tina was nervous about the wedding.

She’d supposed that the dress she’d bought was okay; even though she had gone back to the shops twice to buy other outfits incase she didn’t like it on the day. It was a light-material blue dress with silver stars adorned around the hems of the sleeves. She’d let her dark hair down for the first time in a while and it hung to her chin, swinging as she walked towards the chapel.

Yet there were many factors involved with the wedding that she had to be nervous about. Foremost, what if Queenie didn’t want her to walk her down the aisle after all? She knew her sister to be very indecisive, and could have a change of heart at any moment.

Also, there was Percival.

It wasn’t in the slightest awkward around them at first, but as the months went on he had stopped dropping by her office to say hello. Although he would occasionally come to visit her house to check on Credence, she worried that he didn’t love her anymore. And he was going to be at the wedding- what an unfortunate way to meet again.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts as she walked into the little room in the chapel where she knew Queenie was getting ready. _None of this matters right now_ , she thought to herself. _Today’s about Queenie._

‘Tina!’ Queenie exclaimed, her arms outstretched to embrace her sister. ‘What do you think?’

Tina thought that she looked beautiful; her blonde hair was parted to the side, hanging loose above her shoulders in waves. A clasp gilded with silver in the shape of a leaf pulled her hair back from her left ear. Her dress was gorgeous, long and white and flowing against her bare skin.

‘Why are you crying, Tina?’ She asked, her concerned face sorrowful.

‘Oh, Queenie,’ Tina laughed quietly, dabbing her eyes on the hem of her dress. ‘You just look so beautiful. I’m so happy for you.’

She grinned gratefully. ‘I just wish that mom was here to see it.’

‘Yeah, me too.’ Tina nodded, her hands finding Queenie’s. ‘Let’s not think about that now, though. You’ve got an aisle to walk down.’

‘One day this’ll be you, you know.’

Tina rolled her eyes, sniggering as she placed the veil over Queenie’s head. ‘If I haven’t found the one by now, then I just haven’t found him. It’s 1927- times are changing. I don’t need to find the _‘one’_.’

‘You already have, Tina.’ She held her hand tighter and looked her in the eye, smiling.

‘What do you-’

‘C’mon,’ Queenie’s eyes were glittering playfully through the screen. ‘I need to get married.’

-

The wedding was a success, and the reception was held in the evening at Jacob and Queenie’s house with select few guests. It was very atmospheric, with dimly lit rooms and a gramophone in the living room, playing a grainy jazz standard. A handful of couple swayed aimlessly in the middle of the floor, one of which being the newly weds. Tina felt now, watching Mr and Mrs Jacob Kowalski embrace in the centre of the living room, that she could properly relax. Even though Mary Lou was absent, Tina experienced a sense of cathartic peacefulness in their family. Queenie was finally married, and she felt truly that the Queenie-Graves-Tina chapter had closed.

‘Tina.’

She turned to see Graves looking at her, propped against the edge of a bar stool. He was wearing a black shirt which was unbuttoned at the top and a loosened tie. He held a drink in his hand and raised it in greeting. ‘You look great.’

‘Oh-uh- thank you.’ She stammered, flustered. ‘How are you doing?’

‘Would you like to dance?’ He said at the same time. ‘Sorry- I- I’m fine, thank you. Do you, er-’

‘-Yes!’ She said quickly. ‘I mean, yes- I’d love to.’

Taking her hand, he led her to the make-shift dance floor. Tina had forgotten what it felt like to have Graves hold her hand, to have him close, his hands now on her waist. He smelt of honey. They danced in silence for a few moments, but it was not an awkward silence. Tina watched him curiously as his dark eyes clouded over introspectively.

‘What are you thinking about, Percy?’

‘We both know how this ends, Tina.’

‘I know, Perce,’ she sighed. ‘I know.’

He lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘Even if I only get to be with you for this evening, I can bear it. But this time, can we stay friends? Because I miss you in my life.’

Her heart dropped. ‘You want to be- friends?’

‘-If nothing more.’ He whispered quickly. ‘I love you, Porpentina Goldstein.’

‘I love you,’ she mouthed back, a thrill of relief washing over her. ‘More than you know.’

‘If you’ll allow me to do so, I’d love to see you more often.’

‘I love you.’ Tina repeated, blushing. ‘I would actually like that a lot.’


	20. Bonus Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u for reading this! it means a lot :-) please let me know if you liked it, and maybe check out my other fics tooo x

‘Percy.’

Tina was in her pyjamas, her eyes shining. ‘It’s so great to see you. Er- what are you doing here?’

Her dark hair was messy and her feet were bare- she looked as if she’d just got up. She smiled, and in that moment Graves felt an overwhelming sense of okay-ness. A weight had lifted from off his shoulders and he knew that everything was going to be _fine,_ they were going to be okay after all. ‘Lovely flowers you’ve got there,’ he grinned, gesturing to the bouquet.

‘Thank you.’ She blushed, raising them up to her nose to smell briefly. ‘The postman delivered them just a moment ago. They said they were dropped off my a strange man this morning.’

Graves chuckled, kissing Tina on the cheek. ‘A strange man sending you flowers? Should I be worried?’

‘His valentine was very charming. But don’t worry- he has nothing on you.’ She laughed. ‘Why are you here?’

‘I wanted to reiterate what I said last night. It wasn’t me just saying things- I do love you. And I’ll always love you- I’m always here for you. If you’ll let me stick around.’ He mumbled awkwardly.

‘Come in,’ Tina said, smiling as she held out the door to him. ‘The kettle’s on.’


End file.
